I currently reside in: San Francisco, CA
What your favorite hangout in San Francisco: Anywhere where I can see the water! The bay is so calming, meditative, and relaxing. I love listening to the tide and watching the sun set behind the Golden Gate bridge.
I currently work as a: Co-Founder of Transparent Collective, Startup Advisor, and Product Manager at Square.
I do this because I: I love the intersection of tech and business. As a product person, I enjoy working on a broad set of problems that range from technical complexities to user psychology to product pricing, and everything in between.
I also love learning about new solutions, technologies, and business models and enjoy advising startups that might not have the same accessibility as we have here in SF. That’s why I co-founded a nonprofit (Transparent Collective) which focuses on helping underrepresented founders access the resources they need to create successful companies.
What are some Indian traditions you still follow? I have a no-shoes policy in my apartment. I have never understood the idea of keeping your shoes on and tracking all of those outside germs throughout the sanctuary of your home. Nope, not in my house.
Bollywood or Hollywood, and why? Both! I love musicals and random dance sequences in the middle of an act. So Bollywood is right up my alley. Plus, there are a lot of great indie films being produced in India now, not just the “time pass” filmy options. I grew up watching Madhuri Dixit and Aamir Khan so if there are new movies with either of them in it, you better believe I’ll be watching. As for Hollywood options, there are great movies still being made, but we are in the golden age of television. So if there’s an option between going to the theater and binging on a new Netflix series, I’m going to choose the latter 99% of the time.
Favorite movie? I refuse to pick just one because as soon as I do, I’ll regret not thinking of some other amazing film. This is a lose-lose question and I’m not falling into the trap.
What’s your favorite thing about Indian culture? The food. I could eat Indian food from all regions (north to south, east to west) all day, every day. It’s a vegetarian’s dream cuisine!
What’s one piece of advice your parents have given you that should probably be or are abiding by? It’s not really advice, but my parents raised us with a strong sense of respect. Respect for ourselves, respect towards others, and (of course) respect for education. I think this idea is especially important in light of the current events happening all around the world. If we treat each other with kindness, compassion, and respect, then we can have reasoned discussions that become opportunities for us all to learn, grow, and progress together.
Good Indian Girl? I’m not sure how to answer this because I don’t think there is such thing as a Good Indian Girl. No judgment on what makes women “good” or “bad” because that’s what the patriarchy would want :)….sooooo, can I skip this question?
You can follow Rohini on Twitter and learn more about Transparent Collective and what they do and why they do it. You can also sign-up for their mailing list on transparentcollective.com.